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Bidding on memorabilia at the Colorado Cafe attracted a herd of the establishment's most loyal patrons. Bidding on memorabilia at the Colorado Cafe attracted a herd of the establishment's most loyal ...Credits: Sean Conklin

'Buck Off' was New Jersey's first mechanical bull. 'Buck Off' was New Jersey's first mechanical bull. Credits: Sean Conklin

Loyal patrons of the Colorado Cafe in Watchung take a trip down memory lane while posing for a picture. Loyal patrons of the Colorado Cafe in Watchung take a trip down memory lane while posing for a ...Credits: Sean Conklin

Three groups of bidders starred in the auction for the valuable liquor license. Three groups of bidders starred in the auction for the valuable liquor license. Credits: Sean Conklin

Mark Bahna, a 30-year-old Watchung resident was the high bidder for the liquor license, the most valuable item of the auction. Mark Bahna, a 30-year-old Watchung resident was the high bidder for the liquor license, the most ...Credits: Sean Conklin

'Buck Off' was as intimidating as it was fun to ride. 'Buck Off' was as intimidating as it was fun to ride. Credits: Sean Conklin

The mechanical bull at Colorado Cafe created countless memories which were immortalized in the photos adorned all over the walls at the popular country-themed bar. The mechanical bull at Colorado Cafe created countless memories which were immortalized in the ...Credits: Sean Conklin

Loyal patrons turned out for one last visit at the famous country-themed bar. Many eternalized their memories of the popular establishment by snapping photos. Loyal patrons turned out for one last visit at the famous country-themed bar. Many eternalized ...Credits: Sean Conklin

By SEAN CONKLIN

July 31, 2017 at 10:22 PM

WATCHUNG, NJ – More than two decades of memories were auctioned off at the Colorado Cafe on Monday, July 31 as the renowned country-themed bar welcomed its most loyal patrons for one last time with virtually everything up for sale. Anything from kitchen utensils and glasses to the iconic Buck Off mechanical bull and of course, the valuable liquor license.

Mark Bahna, a 30-year-old Watchung resident, won the auction of the liquor license with a high bid of $200K, but the reserve price was not met. After several minutes of negotiations with the co-owner Angelo Porchetta and representatives AJ Willner Auctions, Bahna agreed to purchase the liquor license for $250K.

Bahna did not reveal how he planned on using the liquor license, but he was visibly excited after winning the auction and securing the deal.

The one location the liquor license will not go to use is the Colorado Cafe’s seven-acre property, which was purchased by Weldon Materials in 2015. Last summer, the Watchung Planning Board approved ordinances that permitted Weldon to apply for an expansion to its hard rock quarry, which all but sealed the country club’s long-term fate.

“We were in business for 22 years and we all decided that it was time to shut it down,” Porchetta said. “I would like to thank all the loyal patrons – the people who were there on opening night and who were still there 22 years later – thank you. Through the years, those patrons, along with the staff and managers, made us the night club we were all these years.”

Editor's Note: After press time, TAPinto Scotch Plains/Fanwood was informed that the reserve price, as outlined in the terms of the contract, were not met and the Colorado Cafe ownership declined to sell the license. Click here to read the follow-up story.

SOMERVILLE, NJ – Everyone but the brewmeister will be working Tuesday at Village Brewing Company.

Just two months away from drawing the first mug of "Somerville Red" and other craft beers brewed on the premises, the owners of what will be the largest micro-brewery in Somerset County were busy Tuesday making sure that plumbers, painters, masons and other workmen didn't get in the way of one ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ – Everyone but the brewmeister will be working Tuesday at Village Brewing ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital/Somerset is holding a blood drive this month in honor of Thomas Gorman, of Middlesex, a longtime donor who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 and his brother, John Gorman, of South Plainfield, whose life was cut short by cancer in 2016.

For several years, the Gorman family has celebrated their ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital/Somerset is holding a blood drive this ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ - On April 29, 2018, as Reanna Nelson played in a Hillsborough Soccer Club game, her grandfather, Romano Borgobello, was stricken while watching from the sidelines. When he became unresponsive, Hillsborough residents Kris Cauda and Alex Wnorowski both registered nurses, along with Marc DeMaio, who is about to be sworn in as a police officer in Old Bridge, performed CPR.

The ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ - On April 29, 2018, as Reanna Nelson played in a Hillsborough Soccer Club game, ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ - Volunteers blanketed the grave sites of hundreds of veterans with wreaths at Sacred Heart Cemetery Saturday as part of the national remembrance day sponsored by Wreaths Across American.

The cemetery on Millstone-River Road is one of 1,400 sites nationally to honor America’s veterans with remembrance wreaths.

Wreaths Across America, a non-profit organization based in ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ - Volunteers blanketed the grave sites of hundreds of veterans with wreaths at ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ Firefighters battled for one hour late Friday afternoon to extinguish a house fire at 5 Wolfe Drive.

Three occupants – Michael Treffinger, Carolyn Treffinger and Clifford Kepniss - were able to escape the fire, which was contained to the second floor, but their dog was trapped inside and died, according to police.

The call came in at 5:12 p.m.; when firefighters arrived, ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ Firefighters battled for one hour late Friday afternoon to extinguish a house ...

NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - Kevin McHugh and Richard Valenti of Valairco Heating and Cooling recently presented a check for $250 to Jerusha Oleksiuk of Moms Helping Moms Foundation as part of their Valairco Cares program.

Valairco launched the "Valairco Cares" campaign this past spring and is committed to donate to four different charities or nonprofits throughout their 50th year. The charities are ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - Santa gets around this time of year in any number of ways - firetrucks, flatbed trucks, horse-drawn carriage, small airplanes, and courtesy of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, a huge, lumbering SWATmobile.

Santa was the guest of honor at the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Robert Wood Johnson/Barnabas University Hospital this week, courtesy of the Somerset County ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - Santa gets around this time of year in any number of ways - firetrucks, flatbed ...

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — From the opening tip-off Friday night against Gill-St. Bernard’s, the Hillsborough boys’ basketball team will be challenged all season against some of the strongest competition in the state.

And for a relatively inexperienced team, that can sometimes appear to be a daunting task. But despite graduating the vast majority of last year’s team, Hillsborough enters the 2018-19 ...

SOMERVILLE, NJ - Edgewood Properties, the developer of the Somerville Town Center luxury apartments on West Main Street, was given preliminary and final site plan approval by the borough Planning Board Wednesday night for a second five-story building with 153 luxury units and parking garage for 521 vehicles.

Ground breaking is expected mid- to late summer 2019, according to Colin Driver, the ...